“Having peace, happiness, and healthiness is my definition of beauty. And you can’t have any of that without sleep.” – Beyonce, American singer and actress

By Henrylito D. Tacio 

A modern lifestyle is characterized by adherence to the latest social trends. It encompasses urban living, fast food consumption, technology usage, and busy schedules. This mode of existence can be both exhilarating and challenging.

 However, the fast-paced nature of modern living complicates the ability to take breaks and unwind. It can render the pursuit of a restful night’s sleep an elusive aspiration. Yet, sleep is as crucial to overall health as nutrition and exercise, contributing to happiness, well-being, and cognitive performance.

 Adequate sleep enhances our bodies’ ability to combat infections. It also diminishes the risk of obesity by regulating hormones that affect appetite. More significantly, quality sleep lowers the likelihood of heart disease by reducing stress on the heart.

 But there are people whose good night’s sleep eludes them. These people are suffering what sleep experts call insomnia, or the inability to fall asleep.

 Contrary to what most people think, insomnia is a symptom – “not a disease,” declares Dr. Isadore Rosenfeld, bestselling author of The Best Treatment. “No one is born destined to become an insomniac,” he explains. 

Insomnia can either be short-term (acute) or can last a long time (chronic).  It may also come and go. “Acute insomnia lasts from one night to a few weeks,” the website webMd.com explains. “Insomnia is chronic when it happens at least 3 nights a week for 3 months or more.”

A good night’s sleep means waking up rested and energized.  On average, a healthy adult person needs between six and eight hours of sleep a night, according to Dr. Ravi Seshadri, a sleep expert and clinical director of MD Specialist HealthCare at the Paragon Medical Center in Singapore.

However, the amount of sleep it takes to achieve rejuvenation varies from person to person.  “It’s not a fixed number,” says Dr. Patrick Gerard Moral, head of the sleep and snore diagnostic and treatment unit of the University of Santo Tomas.  He adds that length is not the only important factor in sleeping but the quality as well.

The Healthy Sleep book gives us some points on why sleep is very important: “The quality of sleep directly affects your mental and physical health and the quality of your waking life, including your productivity, emotional, balance, brain and heart health, immune system, creativity, vitality, and even your weight.  No other activity delivers so many benefits with so little effort!

“Sleep isn’t merely a time when your body shuts off.  While you rest, your brain stays busy, overseeing biological maintenance that keeps your body running in top condition, preparing you for the day ahead.  Without enough hours of restorative sleep, you won’t be able to work, learn, create, and communicate at a level even close to your true potential.  Regularly skimp on ‘service’ and you’re headed for a major mental and physical breakdown.”

“Sleep is a natural physiological phenomenon, but it’s also a learned behavior,” says Dr. Michael Stevenson, clinical director of the North Valley Sleep Disorders Center in California. As such, there are better ways of beating insomnia without the aid of medicine.

Don Hawley, author of the book Smell a Few Flowers, offers these tips to beat insomnia:

1. Exercise more.  Increasing your activity during the day will make it much easier for you to fall asleep at night.  Don’t, however, do anything strenuous just before retiring.  A brief, leisurely stroll is usually beneficial.

2. Have a fixed time for going to bed.  We are creatures of habit, and dropping off to sleep should be a comfortable routine.

3. Avoid late meals.  Don’t eat anything during the hours just prior to retiring, and let the final meal of the day be light, perhaps fruit or soup.

4. Don’t nap in the evening.  Avoiding a nap too late in the day makes one more tired and ready for sleep.

5. Take a warm bath.  A warm bath soothes the nerves and is conducive to sleep.

6. Avoid stimulants.  Remember that coffee, tea, cola, and tobacco all tend to keep people awake.

7. Practice deep breathing.  Breathe out through the nose, hold it for several seconds, and exhale through your nose as slowly as you can.  Wait a few seconds, and repeat the process.

8. Learn to relax systematically.  Consciously think about completely relaxing each part of your body, starting at the top – the scalp, the fore­head, the eyes, the ears, the mouth, the neck, the arms, the trunk, the legs.

9. Think of peaceful things.  Begin to unwind an hour or so before bedtime.  Push away the worries and problems of the day and occupy the mind with pleasant thoughts.

10. Open the windows.  Treat your lungs to some fresh air.  A cool room is more conducive to sleep than a warm one.

11. Keep out unwanted light.  Pull the shades, or obtain a comfortable pair of eye covers.

12. Seek quiet.  You may have to resort to ear plugs to cut out unwanted noise.

13. Try counting sheep.  Don’t laugh; it works.  Dr. Richard Wyatt, of the National Institute of Mental Health, explains: “It’s not so much thinking about sheep, but doing a very repetitive and boring task.  You know its outcome, so you can’t get anxious or excited.”  

“Insomnia is a symptom – not a disease.”

In addition, Ellen Vora, an American psychiatrist who earned her medical degree at Columbia University, also shares these time-proven tips against insomnia:

14. Make sure your sleep environment is pleasant and relaxing. Your bed should be comfortable, and your room shouldn’t be too hot, too cold, or too bright.  If necessary, use earplugs and an eye mask.  Be sure your pillow is comfortable.

15. Avoid any disturbance.  Turn your block around so you can’t see the time.  Turn off the alert for texts and emails on your phone.  

16. Don’t watch television, use the computer or spend long periods on a mobile device before bed.  These activities stimulate the brain and make it harder to fall asleep.  

17. Don’t use your phone, laptop, or other mobile device in bed.  

18. Keep a “worry journal.” If something’s on your mind as you’re trying to fall asleep, write it down on a pad of paper so you can revisit it the next day.

Dr. Christine Celio, an American licensed clinical psychologist, also shares these two tips:

19. Don’t stay awake in bed.  If you’re unable to fall asleep, or if you wake up in the middle of the night and can’t immediately get back to sleep, get out of bed and do something quiet and relaxing, such as reading.  Return to being only when you feel sleepy again.

20. Avoid napping during the day.  For people without insomnia, an afternoon nap isn’t necessarily a bad thing.  But for people with sleeplessness issues, a nap can further disrupt the body’s sleep/wake cycle.

Good morning, world!